Mhairi’s Week Nine

I spent this week in Wisconsin and was submerged in all manner of extended family life. Hearing a multitude of family stories drew me into thinking about the ramifications of certain decisions we make today having hugely lasting consequences for generations to come. How do we know that we are making the right decisions?

If I live an unbalanced life how is it possible to make a balanced decision? Essentially it’s like asking a car to drive with various major problems. Isn’t it inevitable that you won’t run smoothly?

Perhaps the goal in life should be simply to attain balance so that when the moment comes to make a massive serious decision, one is prepared and of sound mind to do so.

Sometimes I can feel like I have to make a decision immediately; without asking for a night to sleep on it or at the very least 5 minutes to think about it. At the speed at which we live is it possible to give decision making enough thought?

I used to think you shouldn’t ever have any regrets regarding decisions made because ultimately you make the best choice for you at that time otherwise you wouldn’t have made it. I’m not sure if I still adhere to that. I think yes if you are of sound mind but not necessarily if you’re coming from a time pressed, exhausted place.

My grandmother used to say everything in moderation which can be hard to remember when living in a hugely competitive place and where the pressure to be doing something at all times, at the very least in a spare 5 minutes as you wait for your friend to come out of the restroom you should be increasing your twitter following, is great. What happened to daydreaming and how is it possible to make balanced, wise decisions when we’re connected all the time to the outside. When we fill ourselves up so much from digital sources, do we even know our own minds anymore? The more time invested in getting to know ourselves is surely the best way to make decisions which hopefully come what may in the future one would still stand by having made the right choice.

Thus the daily bead ritual of reminding myself of the kinds of things I want to structure my life around is necessary for me to at least attempt to make the right decisions. And with that I’m off to eat a balanced lunch.